My much younger siblings come into town once a year for a California vacation. I spend part of the time doing their nutritional analysis and testing. I am proud of the progress that they each have made over the last few years considering they have been dealing with the social hazards of being a teenager or young adult. We go swimming, I cook healthy foods for them, and provide some treats that stay within the realms of reasonableness.
Then we decided to take a day trip to the happiest place on earth; I know that Disney does not have the best choices for the average American trying to stay on a healthy eating plan so I prepare. We ate a good breakfast and brought protein bars for snacking and tuna packets (simply add to a side garden salad!) knowing that the entrée choices will be less than desirable when we get to lunch time. But as I went to the snack bar with them I was FLOORED at the “lemonade” they were serving. Any one that knows me and Angie’s World knows that I am appalled at the injection of corn in our diets. With high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maltodextrin, and citric acid in everything from soda (no surprise) to salad dressing and crackers (always a surprise). But this latest discovery was disturbing. The lemonade had NO lemons in it…NONE, NADA!! It contained three ingredients that were all corn…Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin and citric acid!! In fact, the label touted it as a good thing in a big bubble that stated: Contains no fruit juice! (like it was a good thing!)
Now I know that lemonade can be full of sugar and not the best choice for hydration but at the very least it should have lemons in it and maybe some cane sugar but ALL CORN! This food staple has been subsidized to the point of poor quality even for our livestock to eat. This product (I don’t even want to classify it as produce anymore) makes our bodies store fat just like cattle that they are getting ready to slaughter and they want them as heavy as possible! Then I see people making the choice for lemonade probably thinking they are making a better choice than soda and I am sad for them. Sad that you have to have some knowledge in chemistry and biology to eat healthfully these days. In Disney’s defense, they do offer fruit stands where you can purchase apples, oranges, bottled water and a few other healthy things. I do wish they would become more proactive and
start offering some better choices in their prepared food selections. Perhaps offering organic choices and food with real grilled chicken (not processed chicken product). I would be willing to pay for such products and so would a lot of others that are gaining knowledge about their eating choices. Come on Mickey, even if you aren’t concerned about people’s health at least recognize this is a market that you could capture and that you would help people to purchase more of your products while in the park as opposed to having to haul our own around!
Perhaps Mickey can create his own food line that only is made from real food… Now, that would make it the happiest and healthiest place on earth!
Posts Tagged ‘Nutrition’
The Happiest Place on Earth? Not with fake Lemonade…
Monday, June 21st, 2010How to Tell if Eggs are Fresh
Thursday, June 10th, 2010I stumbled upon this great information from whatscookingamerica.net on how to determine if you should “chuke it” or “eat it”:
A general rule to follow is that any egg that looks or smells odd should not be used. If an egg is bad you will know it. Just smell the egg! Just crack each egg in a small bowl, smell it – your nose will tell you!
How to test if an egg is fresh
First Method:
Fill a deep bowl with water and carefully lower the egg into the water. A very fresh egg will immediately sink to the bottom and lie flat on its side. This is because the air cell within the egg is very small. The egg should also fee quite heavy.
As the egg starts to lose it freshness and more air enters the egg, it will begin to float and stand upright. The smaller end will lie on the bottom of the bowl, while the broader end will point towards the surface. The egg will still be good enough to consume.
However, if the egg fully floats in the water and does not touch the bottom of the bowl at all, it should be discarded, as it will most likely be bad.
Second Method:
Test the eggs freshness by breaking the egg onto a flat plate, not into a bowl. The yolk of a very fresh egg will have a round and compact appearance and it will sit positioned quite high up in the middle of the egg. The white that surrounds it will be thick and stays close to the yolk.
A less fresh egg will contain a flatter yolk, that may bread easily and a thinner white that spreads quite far over the plate.
Body By Angie: Is Your Body Bankrupt? Learn to Invest in Yourself
Friday, April 23rd, 2010Well, my first book has finally been published and is available on amazon.com and in bookstores everywhere! Wow! What a long process – I had no idea how long it would take to write a book and how much longer it takes to publish a book! If you have ever thought of writing a book, feel free to ask me questions on this blog. I would be happy to assist you and perhaps save you some heartache and excess footsteps on the journey of becoming an author.
I am very proud of this accomplishment and I am more proud of the reviews I have been receiving, especially the ones on amazon.com from people I don’t know.
If my book changes one person’s life, the many weekends I spent writing instead of “just chilling”, the hours spent emailing my editor and reviewing the book, and the headaches I had over the publishing companies rules and regulations will be all worth it. If that one person realizes the importance of exercise and/or the benefits of healthy eating, my book will be a success in my eyes.
I invite all of you that have read my book to post a personal story, an “a-ha” moment, or an “oh, wow” comment to this blog. I would love to dive deeper into some of the topics I wrote about as well as answer any questions that you may have after reading my book.
Here’s to your health!
Is Your Body Chemically Confused? Well the Easter Bunny Isn’t Going to Help!
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010By Wilma Young
Walking through the drugstore yesterday I saw the infamous sugar “peeps” that come in multiple shapes and colors for the Easter season. I flipped the package over and the listed ingredients started with sugar then corn syrup (another sugar), 4 different dye colors and carnuba wax. Not only is this awful and nutritionally bankrupt but here was the kicker, in pretty highlighted writing it said ” A Fat Free Candy” and then “Gluten Free”. I was so appalled knowing that the average person trying to manage their weight and increase their health could easily be persuaded that this item was a good choice for them to satisfy their sweet tooth. I know that these “peeps” are not the only land minds in our grocery isles and that navigating through the store can be difficult. But the gluten free aspect of this product (plus many products that use similar marketing techniques) would never make up for the nutriti onal deficiency and chemical bombardment of dyes that your body would have to process. In addition your insulin would spike, your brain would be put into overdrive, your belly would become inflamed and the crash of energy would be abrupt and uncomfortable. This makes this type of product distasteful and disastrous.
The majority of our population doesn’t even know thy are sensitive to chemicals, gluten and excess sugar but have fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort, migraine headaches, chrohns disease, poor quality sleep , irritability and so on and so on and so on. Add to this the chemical confusion of all the dyes and unorthodox ingredients and the brain and the body are going to short circuit and be set up for a major crash. After multiple assaults of this nature the body will eventually be unable to re-boot itself and will start to degenerate at a pace that none of us would want. . The body is an incredible machine. Feed it the right fuel and it will take you for miles and miles. Put too much sugar or chemical into it and you’ll be pulling over at every service station (aka, dr’s office or health practitioner) to get a diagnosis! I am asking you to really keep your radar on high gear, scrutinize these little poison packages disguise d in your Easter basket and realize that your body will pay the price of being a toxic dumping ground. A treat once in a while is definitely okay but choose 70% dark chocolate or at least a dessert made with REAL ingredients that you can pronounce. So when the Easter Bunny shows up at your house this year makes sure he has read the label and has your heart and health in mind. You never know, maybe he’ll smarten up and get you movie tickets or a massage instead!!
Got Sugar Craving? Try Glutamine!
Friday, March 5th, 2010By Wilma Young
Every morning I make my first shake of the day. I use Ultrameal protein and add a few ingredients to make the recipe more delicious (like cinnamon) and nutritious (Wholesome Fast Food, a good fats and flax blend) and the “mama” of all additions for me is glutamine. This powerful amino acid is vital to your health. I have used it for years for muscle repair and brain support but when it started to help with sugar cravings, I was a “lifer” as they say! Glutamine is a free form amino acid found in the muscles of the body. Glutamine optimizes nitrogen balance, speeds recovery, and helps maintain cell volume and hydration too.
It also helps prevent muscle wasting and is essential for mental activity and cerebral function. These two things alone should make us all believers but it also supports the treatment of arthritis, auto immune diseases, intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers and connective tissue diseases. It can also be used to help developmental disabilities, epilepsy, fatigue, impotence, depression, schizophrenia and senility. We can all relate to one of these disorders (and maybe a few of us can relate to MANY of them). And yes, many plant and animal substances have glutamine in them but cooking easily destroys them so a supplement is key. It will also help when recovering from any trauma sustained by the body like surgeries, car accidents and after intense work outs, which let’s be honest, can be traumatic to the body if you’re pushing yourself. When I am having an extra hard time with cravings I will increase my protein intake and take an extra dose of glutamine after dinner. Remember that cravings of sugar (or alcohol or simple carbohydrates) can represent the need for a quick energy fix which means we didn’t get ENOUGH of the right foods prior to the energy crash. Glutamine is a terrific addition to your shake or supplement routine especially if you work out, but please take heed. The cravings are your body’s signal that you need to ADD more food, the RIGHT food and at a CONSISTENT level. if you invest in supplying your body with sustainable energy from whole foods, fresh produce and lean meats you will have the energy to accomplish your day, the emotional balance to manage stress and the well being to sleep restfully at night! Now that is better than any craving could ever promise!
Inflammation Holds The Key To Our Bodies Balance
Saturday, February 27th, 2010The Big Game Is Sunday Will It Give You Big Buns?
Friday, February 5th, 2010By Wilma Young
It’s the beginning of the year. You have applied yourself to a healthy lifestyle and have made some positive strides towards this goal. Your pants aren’t quite as tight and the holiday fatigue seems to be waning. Then it appears, in the horizon, you can see the fat laden 7 layer dip with a side of corn chips nestled between a case of beer and a hot dog the size of the Goodyear blimp and you go weak in the knees. This is the first big “food-fest” of the year and it is a time that you can be tested. I have seen the ads for the football shaped cupcakes and the touchdown brownies but you will NOT score with these foods. Even if you make it to the end zone you will ultimately lose the Big Game! I want to encourage during this weekend to be strong. Have a protein shake or a small meal before you go to a party so that you will be less tempted to partake in these sidelining foods. Choose the veggie tray with salsa as your snack instead of the chips and cheese. Choose the BBQ chicken instead of the hot dogs and hamburgers and if necessary keep an “emergency” protein bar in your purse so that you don’t become the Big Bad Wolf when you see the little red flags of pseudo-food. If you can make it through Sunday by making better food choices 80% of the time you will be well on your way to the best year of your life. You will have proven to yourself that you can go to parties and eat well, be with friends and family and not salivate over the fatty foods and you can improve your body, mind and spirit. You will win big at the game of life and isn’t that really what winning is all about?
How Can It Be That Spending More for Your Vitamins Can Cost You Less
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010By Wilma Young
I had a pregnant client in the store today to get her fish oil supplements. She proceeded to tell me how tired she is (of course, who wouldn’t be when you are 2 weeks away from delivering) and her eyesight has been blurry. She asked her doctor about the blurry vision and he said “it was because of the baby taking all of the vitamins and nutrients from her body for it’s own growth”. I agree that this is what the baby needs right now but not at the expense of Mom’s eyesight. I asked if she was taking her prenatal vitamins and she said yes but she was using a drug store vitamin. Hearing this made me concerned for her and for the baby knowing that the cheap vitamin will not break down well, provide inferior nutrients and basically become “bedpan bullets”. This is not the foundation to a healthy and happy baby! In my usual mischievous tone I asked her why she would be using such poor quality vitamins and a high quality fish oil supplement. “I need to save money right now and thought the fish oil was more important to spend the money on”. “I completely empathize with your economic ordeal but the drug store vitamin isn’t giving you what you and the baby need. You HAVE to invest in the health of your baby AND you and skimping on vitamins right now is not the way to go. Spending the money now to help your baby develop his brain and body is like saving for his college fund. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The only time you will have 100% control over what he ingests is right now while he is inside of you, Let’s look at the cost!” We then went to the Prenatal Vitamin packs from Metagenics to calculate the dollars. The packets have the fish oil (which she was already going to buy), the multi vitamin and the added bonuses of choline, calcium/magnesium and added DHA, critical to brain development. Taking into consideration the drug store vitamin cost and the fish oil she was already going to buy the difference came out to @ $5.00. This didn’t take in to account the extra nutrition she was getting in the packets with the added DHA etc. “Isn’t it imperative for your own mental and physical health during this phenomenal and monumental time to invest the extra $5.00? You and your baby’s body and mind are worth it! Cutting cost now will only make you pay dearly in the future”.
Isn’t our next generation worth the investment.? Can we change our world by bringing healthier children into it? I say Yes!! What do you say?
P.S. She did start on the Metagenics Prenatal vitamins…who wouldn’t after a badgering like that!